Friday, March 26, 2010

If you follow Sarah’s blog you know my daughter Anna and you know Anna's medical history and her physical limitations. You also may know that each of the girls, including Anna, have recently had rare alone time with either mommy or daddy. Anna and I had one-on-one time last week. Our time together that morning consisted of our first meeting with her GI doctor, followed by a visit to my office. Both went well.

As a reminder, Anna has five doctors she sees at least once a year. She sees her pediatrician, her neurosurgeon, nephrologist, urologist and neurologist. She now has her very own gastroenterologist. SIX doctors.

In my inner soul lies a huge amount of gratitude for Anna’s health. To some this may not make sense, to others it may be understandable. It could be worse. It could be much “worse”. We could be talking about wheelchairs. After Sarah’s first ultrasound and the discovery of the opening in Anna’s spine, we were told about selective reduction options. Spina bifida is not pretty. And it does not go away.

I've gotten comments from people such as “well, she will get better, right?” or “she will not always be like this, right”. I understand comments like that are often said out of ignorance. Comments like that may also reflect the person’s sympathy. In other words: I don’t like the fact that Anna has a condition so…I’ll just pretend like it will go away and that will make me feel better.

Yes, I get the “why Anna?” attitude at times. I get mad, maybe even a little bitter that Anna will be physically restricted throughout her life. Doctor visits, daily medications and Anna’s unsteadiness on her feet sometimes make this dad mad. Sarah & I have learned however, that all these “things” make Anna even more special, more lovable and more adorable.

We have a Fisher Price jungle gym type thing in our back yard. Thank you Grammy. Check out Anna (and Allie) play on the slide in the video below. Not bad for a girl with physical limitations, eh? Go Anna!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Having placed second in several great job opportunities, I decided I need three letters after my name. MBA. Six letters actually - MBA, CPA. So I took a GMAT exam preparation course, then the GMAT exam(twice), obtained letters of recommendation and researched schools based on reputation, convenience and affordability (my employer reimburses, but it is maxed). I applied to the university from which I had earned my undergraduate degree. They accepted me.

So, here I am. Over a year after I started the process,s I am enrolled and taking my second graduate level class in my second semester. Only one class. With twenty years since I obtained my undergraduate degree and three soon-to-be 3 year-olds at home, one class is enough.

My first class went great. It was hyped by the University to be difficult - almost like a right of passage into the program. The class consisted of a big team project, which consumed quite a bit of time outside of class. I kept telling Sarah "I just need to pass". Long story short is I ended the class with an "A-". Thank you very much.

On to class #2 this semester. The difference is like night and day. This math class I had heard was "fairly easy". I walk into the class - there were nine students. NINE. My first class had 38. The class starts and the instructor is all business and says "let's go to the lab". So our classes are held in a building on the other side of the campus in a computer lab in the basement. With 8 other students. No where to hide.

Long story short: I am struggling in this class. My grade on the mid-term was the second lowest in the class. The professor wrote "talk to me" on my exam. NOT GOOD. When I got my grade I immediately second guessed my decision to return to school. "What am I doing?" I thought to myself.

I have been deflated. Both my enthusiasm for school and my self-esteem are currently lying at the bottom of a shallow, dried up river somewhere in the middle of Australia. Let's hope I am able to retrieve them.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

At least once a day for the past several weeks either Sarah or me have said "where do they come up with this stuff" in reference to things our daughters have either said or done. Take, for example, last weekend. We had one of those spectacular New England spring days when everyone is outside - doing yard work, washing their car, shooting hoops or just hanging out. We took full advantage of the nice weather and had the girls playing outside as much as possible. During the time the girls were playing outside there were several of the "where do they come up with that?" moments. In this video clip, the girls are "planting pizza". Check it out:

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

When it seems as though every person on the road is trying to cut me off…

When I am wondering what this life is all about…. I watch my daughters.

I listen to what my daughters say.

I look in my daughters’ eyes and see the true joy of life.

I captured Anna “reading’ a book to Allie (and then Emily) the other day. I believe the book is Elmo Goes to the Library. Watch the video and listen to Anna tell the story. Reflecting on moments like this brings me back to what it is all about it.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

To continue Sarah's post regarding the funny things that come out of our girls' mouths, the clip below captures a cute conversation I had with Allie last weekend regarding a rare one-on-one trip to run a couple of errands. I took her to the "daddy store" (Home Depot) and the grocery store earlier that day. Em makes an appearance in this video also with a big "hello" before Anna grabs the camcorder - she always wants to see what's in the viewfinder!

About Me

Husband, dad to Abigail Ruth (born still in June 2006), and Alicenne, Anna and Emily (identical triplet girls).
Avid runner. I have run the Falmouth Road Race, Boston Marathon (twice), Marine Corps Marathon, and The Disney Marathon.